Seafood is very popular in China given its close proximity to the sea and the presence of rivers and ponds all over the country. Many restaurants even offer the option of choosing the fish that you would like served by picking one from the fish tank. This fish is then weighed and prepared according to a recipe of your choice to enjoy with your family.
Eating seafood needs a bit of skill as bones are often not removed. You will need to take your time and eat it slowly to avoid choking on an unruly bone piece. Removing them from your mouth and placing them on the side plate is considered the right etiquette according to the local culture. Most people who enjoy eating seafood also relish the fish head, where most of the nutrients and taste stay hidden.
Recipes that include seafood often make use of chilli, salt and ginger to give the fish that extra flavour. Interestingly, seafood is not restricted to only fish in China. The Chinese are very adventurous when it comes to seafood and enjoy eating practically anything that comes from the sea like turtles, cuttlefish, shrimps, shark, squid, abalone, shellfish, etc. Each of these delicacies is prepared using traditional recipes to capture the true essence of its flavour. However, you need to be cautious of eating seafood at restaurants that are located far from the sea, as seafood goes bad very fast and may cause food poisoning which may even turn out to be fatal in some cases.
Some of the famous Chinese seafood delicacies that are popular throughout the world are:
· Salt And Pepper Shrimp
· Steamed Turtle
· Minced Garlic Steamed Abalone
· Chengdu Soaked Capsicum Young Cuttlefish
· Fried Clams
· Dry-Fried Shredded Squid With Peppers
· Yantai Scorpion Rolling Embroidered Ball
· Oil Braised King Prawns

Seafood is a top favorite among the local people who live near the sea in China. It is very nutrient rich and offers plenty of proteins, minerals and vitamins as well as omega 3 acids. Here are a few more benefits that are offered by seafood:
· Ease Tender Joints
The omega 3 fatty acids found commonly in seafood plays an important role in reducing the symptoms of arthritis which include painful joints, especially in the morning.
· Improve Your Eyesight
According to recent studies, people who consume seafood as a part of regular diet have better eyesight compared to those who eat seafood rarely. The omega-3 fatty acids present in seafood helps boost night vision as well and keep your eyes healthy and bright.
· Keep Your Heart Healthy
Compared to other meat products, seafood is safer for people suffering from heart conditions. Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce cardiovascular ailments like strokes, heart attacks, etc. In fact, doctors even recommend patients suffering from heart ailments to add seafood to their regular diet to improve their heart health.
· Get Glowing Skin
Your skin will start glowing when you are more careful about your diet. Seafood promises to improve the moisture levels of your skins and help it heal faster from the UV rays and other pollutants in the environment.
· Get Smarter
You can boost the brainpower of your kids by giving them seafood regularly according to the latest studies by scientists. The DHA and EPA preset in omega 3 fatty acids helps younger kids grasp new concept faster and allows their brains to grow faster as well.
· Get Over Depression
Depression has become quite popular among the younger generation in their race to achieve more and more in life. Adding seafood to their daily diet can help them combat the symptoms of depression and assist them in leading a better life.

Seafood offers plenty of benefits if it is added to the daily diet. Unfortunately, there are plenty of things to be kept in mind before preparing or consuming seafood as it has a tendency to spoil very quickly. Here are a few tips to help you keep you and your family safe while consuming seafood:
· Defrost seafood under running water or in the microwave oven.
· Wash your hands very well with an antibacterial soap after handling any kind of seafood.
· Rinse defrosted seafood once before preparation to remove any surface bacteria.
· Marinated seafood needs to be preserved in the refrigerator to avoid going bad.
· Any raw juice from seafood needs to be wiped up immediately to avoid it from infecting other the counter or food kept on the counter.
· After you have finished preparing seafood, wash every utensil, plateware used with hot and soapy water to prevent bacteria from thriving and cross contaminating other food.
· Replace all sponges, dishtowels, etc. regularly to prevent falling victim to food poisoning.
· Seafood needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in plastic resealable bags to avoid contaminating any other food items.
If you follow the above mentioned tips carefully, you can enjoy your seafood delicacies without risking falling sick. Many experts also recommend avoid eating seafood at questionable restaurants, as they might not follow the proper precautions required while preparing seafood.

Chinese food is well loved all over the world for its exotic delicacies. The ingredients used in cooking Chinese recipes vary differently from ingredients used in other cuisines. Here are a few popular ingredients that are commonly used to create mouthwatering Chinese dishes:
· Rice
Rice is a staple part of the everyday diet in China. It is a part of the meal every day and is made in several different ways. The Yangzhou fried rice is a favorite among the locals and tourists alike.
· Noodles
The Chinese cuisine uses noodles in several different ways starting from soup to the main course. The Chinese noodles are usually made from rice flour, wheat flour or mung bean starch. Sometimes noodles are served as a stir-fry along with meat or vegetables.
· Tofu
With the growing interest in leading a healthier lifestyle, tofu has found many takers all over the world. It is rich in protein and is often used in vegetarian dishes and even stir fried dishes.
· Peking Duck
Chinese dishes often include all kinds of fish and meat. Among these, the Peking duck is considered a delicacy and is often prepared on special occasions. It is either boiled or stewed or stir fried or baked or even pickled.
· Eggs
Eggs might seem pretty laid back compared to the other ingredients used in cooking Chinese recipes. However, the Chinese cuisine makes use of eggs from all kinds of poultry like chicken, geese, ducks, pigeons and even quails. These eggs are either steamed or boiled or fried or pickled to get the most flavors.
· Chinese Eggplants
The Chinese eggplants are longer in shape with a bright purple skin. They are a key ingredient in many stir fried recipes. The braised eggplant is a favorite among the locals.
· Chinese Mushrooms
The Chinese cuisine makes use of mushrooms either fresh or dried while cooking a hot pot or making soup. It is often used in hot soups to give more energy and stamina to invalids.

Every cuisine has its own set of flavors and aromas that set it apart from the others. Similarly, the Chinese cuisine is made up of five key flavors that have managed to make it very popular in every corner of the world:
· Spicy Flavor
The spiciness is often referred to as the pungent flavor as it has the ability to expel wind and cold from your body, It can also help whet your appetite in addition to moistening any dryness and promoting blood circulation. The central and south areas of China offer very spicy cuisines as it complements the climate of these regions. The additional chilies on the recipes help to move internal dampness and offer better health and comfort.
· Sweet Flavor
The sweetness of any dish can help mellow down the mood. They often come in the form of honey, sugar and jams. They are also added to seafood dishes in an attempt to reduce the greasiness and fishiness of the dishes.
· Sour Flavor
The sourness in a dish can help with the digestions as well dissolve the calcium present in the food. This flavor is popular in south China as most food items are preserved by pickling.
· Salty Flavor
The saltiness in any dish helps dissolve the stagnation of the body. However, it is necessary to keep an eye on the intake of salt as too much of it can lead to health complications in the future. Since salt is produced near the sea coast, these regions tend to have a higher Salty flavor in the recipes that originate from these regions. The northern part of China also tends to use a bit more salt than required in an attempt to preserve vegetables to last through the long winter seasons.
· Bitter Flavor
The bitterness flavor is usually used in combination of other flavors to bring out the essence of the dish. The bitter taste is brought about by adding medicinal herbs to help strengthen the stomach and promote salivation as well.

Running a restaurant can be a stressful job if you don’t have the right staff or infrastructure in place. Once you have established the primary concerns of running a restaurant, the next step is turning it into a huge success. This is a time consuming process and needs a lot of hard work on your part. Here are the secrets followed by major restaurateurs to make their restaurant a huge hit:
· Delicious Menu
Create a delicious menu that appeals to your customers. Make the food sound simple yet unique. Some restaurants make the mistake of offering too many dishes which often confuses the customer. Find a signature dish that appeals to most customers and make it with the freshest ingredients available. Customers will soon come flocking to your door.
· Seating Arrangements
Since restaurants measure their profit according to the number of customers served, it is vital to provide maximum seating in the restaurant as possible. At the same time, it should appear expansive and elegant to appeal to the customer as well.
· Restaurant Sign
With everything about visual presentation these days, the restaurant sign also needs to be carefully researched before being finalized. Choose a sign that represents which style of restaurant you plan on opening up. This gives your customer an idea as to what to expect before they walk in through the doors.
· Trained Staff
Customers often opt for to dine out for a pleasurable experience. This experience is further heightened by service by well trained professional staff, they must know the difference between an induction hob and a gas range. Memorable wait staff is often an additional feature of a successful restaurant anywhere in the world.
· Location
Successful restaurants are often placed near high foot traffic areas along with ample car parking space. This makes the restaurant more appealing to the customers. This makes the whole dining out experience more pleasurable and comfortable for your customers.

Every restaurant learns to survive depending on how good their customer retention is. According to the age old saying, it is more expensive to find new customers than retaining the old ones. In order to retain customers, restaurants need to follow a few tips which have been mentioned below:
· Excellent Customer Service
The customer needs to be pleased with the service you provide. This can be achieved at a restaurant via excellent food, lovely ambience and professional wait staff. The restaurant also needs to keep a check on their prices. If a customer feels that they are being overcharged for the services provided, there is a lower chance of them returning to the restaurant.
· Add A Personal Touch
Customers enjoy the feeling of familiarity at restaurants. If the host or the waiters remember their names or dish preferences, the customers feel more comfortable and are more than willing to come back to their restaurant time and again.
· CRM
CRM software has helped many restaurants all over the world on building up a good customer database. You can send out customized greetings on special occasions or offer them special discounts on special days and so on. It can also help when you are trying to target a particular segment of the market to improve the popularity of your restaurant.